Abstract: The Huntington Library Sheet Music Collection chiefly illustrates the physical and thematic development of sheet music printed
in the United States from the late eighteenth century
through the early twentieth century. The collection includes over 3800 items, the bulk of which spans the years 1820-1920.

Language: English.

Note:

Finding aid last updated on February 13, 2015.

Administrative Information

Publication Rights

In order to quote from, publish, or reproduce any of the materials, researchers must obtain formal permission from the office
of the Library Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Huntington as the owner of the
physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. Researchers
may contact the appropriate curator for further information.

The provenance of individual items within the collection is primarily unknown.
The collection has been developed gradually since 1923 through donations of single items and donations and purchases of scrapbook
volumes containing sheet music.

Processing/Project Information

An item-level list of the collection was created in August 1997 by Cathy Cherbosque and a brief online finding aid was created
in 1999. Diann Benti
combined and updated this finding aid in January 2015.

Access

The collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information,
please visit the Huntington's website:
www.huntington.org.

Scope and Content

The Huntington Library Sheet Music Collection chiefly illustrates the physical and thematic development of sheet music printed
in the United States from the late eighteenth century
through the early twentieth century. The collection includes over 3800 items, the bulk of which spans the years 1820-1920.
Musical genres included are English and
American theatre music, comic opera, patriotic songs, Scottish and Irish melodies, “Englished” versions of Italian opera,
contemporary topical themes (such as the Civil
War, including a small number of Confederate imprints), and modern Broadway music. Subjects and themes covered include sentimental
songs, especially courtship and maternal
relationships; songs offered in tribute (e.g. to Washington, Lincoln, Bonaparte; Jenny Lind, etc.); and patriotic songs, especially
of the Civil War. Major and minor
publishers are represented. Cities most prominently featured as publishing centers include Boston, Philadelphia, New York,
and Baltimore; there are also imprints from
Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, San Francisco, St. Louis, and New Orleans. A significant portion of the collection is illustrated
which, along with the themes and
lyrics of the songs themselves, provides further insight into the attitudes and values of the American people over time.

Related materials in the Huntington Library

Beyond the Sheet Music Collection which is housed in the Prints and Ephemera Division of the Rare Book Department, sheet music
has also
been catalogued in numerous locations in the Rare Book Department. Other catalogued material include:
Librettos, Song Books, Song Sheets, and Broadsides.

Arrangement

The collection consists of individual pieces arranged chronologically by publication date within folders, and then alphabetically
by song title. These are stored flat in boxes.
A portion of the items have been bound into numbered scrapbooks, reflecting the tastes and musical interests of various compilers.

Items without a date are arranged alphabetically by song title in a “n.d.” (no date) sequence. These are housed in a separate
“no date” box.

Please note that in some cases, the publication dates are only approximate dates assigned by the cataloger.